1900

You are adding a receptacle on a wall, you inspect the area and deem it ok, then you go up into the attic and drill down. After you make the hole you push a snake or rod down it and feel something right at the opening of the hole, it moves so you assume it's a wire.

You go down and check the panel, sure enough a breaker has tripped and the lights in the area you were working are off. You reset the breaker, it holds and the lights stay on. You go back up into the attic and push a fiberglass rod down and jiggle the wire around, the breaker still holds. You try to look down the hole you drilled, but you can't see much thru two top plates and a nailer.

What do you do?

Assume it is cleared and call it a day?
Break open the plaster wall and tape it?
Break open as much as you need to run a new wire?
Install an AFCI on the circuit on your dime?

sparkyboys

more than likely snagged the wire a little when drilling. i would cut a small 2x2 hole just to make sure.

480sparky

I'd pull out my Rigid See Snake and look to see what damage was done. If the drill bit snagged a wire and damaged it enough to trip the breaker, it should be repaired properly

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In winter, why do we try to keep the house as warm as it was in summer when we complained about the heat?

sparkyboys

looked up the seesnake, cool. but what if you do not have one? 480 you got some cool stuff.

InPhase277

If you damaged a conductor while drilling a hole, you are responsible for fixing it, even if the circuit still holds. I would cut out as much wall as was needed to repair it, then patch the wall back up. I couldn't sleep at night not knowing the extent of the damage to the wire.

InPhase277

A mirror and a flashlight work pretty good. A mechanic's inspection mirror is the bee's knees. Someone once suggested taking a web cam apart of putting the CCD on the end of a push rod with a light. I have since done it and used it at my own house with great success, but I haven't used it at work.

480sparky

Gotta have the right tool for the job!

I'm thinking of upgrading to the microExplorer.

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In winter, why do we try to keep the house as warm as it was in summer when we complained about the heat?

jrhelectrical

Find out how you can put a new feed to those lights,It happens sometimes.One thing is for sure,your dealing with electricity.

brian john

Several options;

Sea Snake Great tool

Drill a hole with a hole saw in the plate to allow a better inspection two holes and an inspection mirror

Cut hole downstairs

Determine the two possible outlets involved and megger the complete circuit and a portion of the circuit.

But you are responsible..

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Brian John
Leesburg, VA

Mr. Sparkle

Yeah, that thing would be great for watching all the money you spent on it go down the drain.

On a serious note I would love to own any one of those types of cameras and I must mock what I can not have, call it a personality flaw.

brian john

The Sea Snake has proved invaluable when inspecting gear, looking for lost hardware (no one like the know there is a nut, bolt or washer some where in there).

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Brian John
Leesburg, VA

480sparky

I don't spend money on tools. I invest money in them.

I paid $200 for the See Snake. It paid for itself the first time I used it. I'm money ahead on it now.

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In winter, why do we try to keep the house as warm as it was in summer when we complained about the heat?

1900

I have a SeeSnake too, $180 from Amazon.

480, have you bought an extension yet? I barely see them for sale anywhere, when I do find one they are $50 or more.

I did find a smaller head that you could buy and install, this way you can drill a smaller hole to poke thru.

480sparky

Never needed an extension, but it's on my wish list.

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In winter, why do we try to keep the house as warm as it was in summer when we complained about the heat?

acmax

You break-it you buy-it, first drill larger hole next to first hole. Careful now you know there's a possible wire close by. Shine lite in smaller hole, can't see anything then plan B. Cut 2'' x 4'' in wall by top plate in line with first hole. Sometimes the smallest jarring of older heat dried nm in walls with stapes are problems waiting to happen. But you got'ta check to see whats up.So many rougher's smash the horseshoes into the wire,and probably never inspected. It's a pain in the butt.

Mr. Sparkle

Oh I am just busting chops, believe me I fully understand that tools cost less than labor.

I have had my finger on the trigger for a see snake for quite some time and then you go and put the link to the MicroExplorer and now I'm all mixed up.

B4T

What is the price of the microexplorer?? I don't have a seesnake and want to buy one before I need it

480sparky

Six or seven hundred.

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In winter, why do we try to keep the house as warm as it was in summer when we complained about the heat?

1900

There's a huge difference in price. I'm not sure you would benefit from most of the features of the MicroExplorer.

The only thing that the MicroExplorer has over the See Snake that I would care about is the self leveling feature. But it's not worth the cost, you get used to figuring out what's up and down with the See Snake.

480sparky

How about the zoom and pan functions, as well as the ability to record images and video?

__________________
In winter, why do we try to keep the house as warm as it was in summer when we complained about the heat?